The Gutsy Woman’s Guide to Solo Travel

Would you like to travel but have no one to go with you?

By: Thea Easterby

Don’t despair. Not having a travel companion shouldn’t discourage you from experiencing all the wonders the world has to offer. You can travel by yourself! While traveling alone may sound daunting at first, it is rewarding and gets easier with practice.

Here are ten pointers to get you started.

1. Safety and Security

The personal safety aspect unfortunately stops a lot of women from traveling alone. This doesn’t have to be the case.

Instead of walking around late at night, use a reputable cab company. If you do walk at night, stick to well lit, busy pedestrian areas. Minimal or no jewellery (certainly nothing expensive), don’t flash around a wallet full of cash and never take a stranger back to your room.

Watch out for lightning fast pickpockets. Don’t keep large amounts of cash, credit cards or your passport in your pocket. Avoid handbags that gap open, instead choose one that shuts securely and keep it close to your body. Money belts worn under clothing are a wise choice for some destinations.

When using public transportation choose who you want to sit next to. As tempting as those spare seats look, you can’t control who sits next to you.

Stay in touch with family and friends back home so they know where you are and don’t go overseas without travel insurance.

Use caution when telling people you are traveling alone. Most often, it’ll be safer to say you are with a group, or your friends are back at the hotel.

2. Research Before You Go

Use the Internet and guidebooks to determine whether your destination is friendly towards solo female travelers. Research your accommodations before booking to ensure they are close to restaurants bars and shops so that you are not walking or catching cabs long distances. Check train and bus arrival times. If you catch a night train, make sure you have a hotel booked before your arrival. I made this mistake in Paris and found myself walking around at midnight looking for a room.

3. Respect the Local Culture

Research the culture of your destination, acceptable behavior at home may be illegal or frowned upon in a foreign country. Be respectful particularly in regard to dress standards and conduct. In non-English speaking countries, learn a few basic words and phrases, so that you can be courteous and friendly to the locals.

4. Don’t Overindulge

Drinking impairs your judgement so know your limits and stay within them. As a wine drinker, I like to try different varieties of wine when I travel. Whilst in Berlin, I would have dinner and a glass of wine in a local restaurant and then have my last drink for the evening in the small bar of my hotel. This meant I didn’t have to worry about walking home from the restaurant after a few drinks. Overindulging makes you a potential target, so be smart about your drinking habits when traveling solo.

5. Seek Out Other Women Traveling Alone

It is easy to meet other single women if you are staying in hostels. Talk to your roommates and socialize in the hostel bar, if there is one.

On a trip to Thailand, I befriended two Norwegian girls traveling together. We were approached by a woman in the street (who was also traveling alone) looking for people to fill a day tour. We happily accepted. My new friend and I then traveled through Cambodia together. Keep your eye open for opportunities to travel with other women.

6. Enjoy the Nightlife

Traveling by yourself doesn’t mean you can’t go out at night. I prefer to go to nice restaurants and bars. If I go to a bar, I tend to sit at the bar where it’s easier to engage in conversations, meet people and it provides a good way to survey the room. I leave nightclubs for the nights I meet fellow travelers.

Summer in parts of Europe means it gets dark much later, so use that to your advantage. Bear in mind, men can range from respectful to highly enthusiastic to downright sleazy all around the globe any time of day, so keep your wits about you.

7. Use Common Sense

During a trip to Florence I noticed a commotion at the central train station. Uniformed men were swarming out of vehicles; something was obviously happening. You would be surprised how many tourists started to head over for a look. Personally, I was walking swiftly in the opposite direction. Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy, get yourself out of there.

8. Blend In

When traveling alone, it helps to blend in. Don’t dress outrageously or in a provocative manner. Avoid looking like a tourist, where possible aim to be mistaken for a local. If you are regularly getting asked for directions by other tourists, consider that a positive sign.

No matter how lost you are, try to look like you know where you are going. Don’t panic if you get lost, it’s bound to happen at some stage and can often lead to exciting discoveries. However avoid getting lost at night, work out where you need to go prior to leaving your hotel room. Reading a map on the street will make you a target in certain cities; in others people will be only too glad to help you. A trip to New York City uncovered friendly people willing to assist with directions before I even had the map unfolded.

9. Join a tour group

If you feel uncomfortable traveling by yourself, book a trip with a tour group. Tours are a great way to meet people and familiarizing yourself with a city makes it easier to go back on your own at a later time.

10. Enjoy yourself!

Soak up the food, history, art, people and culture. Did I mention the food?

Don’t let a lack of travel companions stop you from experiencing the amazing array of travel destinations and adventures available… You never know what you will learn, or who you will meet. And, who knows, you might even find you.

Thea is a freelance writer/blogger. Having resigned from her corporate job in February 2011, she is now working full time on her freelance writing business. Her blog www.writechangegrow.com offers inspiring tips on writing, career change and personal development. For more information, click here to read her About page.

There are places I’ve thought of going but I’m always intimidated about having to “do” everything for myself. Am I really getting the best rates? What is something goes wrong? Am I going to take everything I need? Pack too little/too much? How can I be sure I can afford any unexpected eventualities/surprises?

I don’t fly, unless I have no other options, because I am physically sick for days following. Let’s see, I’m going to a location for 1 week and for the first 2-3 days I walk around feeling awful 24/7 and the 2-3 days upon my return home I get a repeat. Not fun.

However, my failure to travel by car to the million and one locations that are still available can only be laid at my doorstep. I guess I need to ask myself, “Why haven’t I really done this before?”

After reading the above and the link to “Solo Friendly – Safe Solo Travel” by Gray Cargill, I think I am going to have to learn to let go of the fear to driving in heavy traffic, of getting lost, (I once drove the wrong way down a one-way street), of the car breaking down, and maybe start small and start going to new places and seeing and doing things I’ve always thought I’d like to do. Maybe now is the time.

Thanks for including this article to the website. Who knows? Maybe I will get the courage to get on that plane one day and take a two-week trip to another country where I will see and experience, wonders for myself.

That is a shame to hear that you get sick from flying. It doesn’t sound very pleasant at all.

I was a terrible traveler when I was young, I couldn’t be in a moving anything really for more than a half hour withing throwing up. My poor parents. Thankfully I grew out of that phase. My Mum laughs at the flying I do now.

I think you are definitely onto something with the start small idea. Starting small would give you some experience answering those questions you mentioned, like packing, surprises, dealing with different things by yourself. The first time is always the hardest but over time it gets easier. Once you move through the fear, you will feel energized to see and do more.

Just a suggestion if you are worried about driving, is there other good forms of transport you could use like a nice high speed train or even the bus (though they tend to be slow due to getting caught up in traffic) that you can use? You could always hire a car at the other end.

All excellent tips and I can’t think of anything to add at the moment – apart from just watch out when staying in backpacker hostels (if travelling alone). I once – years ago – stayed in a hostel where guys and girls were in the same rooms. It was totally fine until I went to bed and one of the guys tried to spend the whole night watching me sleep, and then tried to stalk me the next day. There’s also the security aspect (I always slept with my money, valuable under my pillow or right next to me on the mattress if they didn’t have lockable lockers/cupboards.

Oh then there’s ‘pack wisely’. Most places in the world have everything you may need. And no, you don’t have to take all of those shoes! You will just end up having to carry it around (and hell, you can BUY shoes!).

I agree with you on the co-op dorms. Other than the safety aspect, I once spent a night in Cesky Krumlov with a room full of snoring men. Not the best night sleep I have ever had, though I have to say it was rather amusing, it was like a snoring symphony. I remember laughing my head off at one point.

The guy watching you sleep then following you is indeed creepy.

Security wise I slept with my money belt inside my sleep sheet (which is like a silk sleeping bag) so no one could steal anything. I do the under the pillow one as well sometimes.

So true about the pack wisely! You really learn to pack light when you are using a backpack, having to carry everything on your back really helps you define how much you need something. I learnt the hard way by hurting my back in Madrid with a backpack that was too heavy. Now I am a super light packer. I get a lot of ‘Is that all you bought with you?’ comments.

So glad you enjoyed the tips and thank you for sharing your experience.
Cheers
Thea

Hi Ladies
So glad you enjoyed the article! I know whenever I read travel tips, it always makes me want to go somewhere exciting. Glad to hear this post has you thinking about your next trip!
Cheers
Thea